Older electric vehicles outperform petrol cars
Electric vehicles become more reliable than petrol cars the older they get, according to new analysis.
A study of 47.4 million MOTs found that there was little difference between electric and petrol models under 60,000 miles.
However, electric cars with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the clock were 25% less likely to fail their MOTs compared to similar petrol models. The study found that 16.5% of electric vehicles in this bracket failed their MOT compared to 22.1% of similar petrol cars.
The study was carried out by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association.
Toby Poston, BVRLA chief executive, said: “Electric cars tend to fail less at higher mileages because they have far fewer moving parts. There’s no combustion engine, no exhaust system and no conventional gearbox, so you remove a lot of the mechanical complexity and wear that traditionally starts to matter as a car racks up the miles.
“What is fascinating about this research is that the difference becomes clearer as mileage increases. That suggests the simplicity of the electric drivetrain may become an advantage over the longer term.”
